Introducing Ethical Issues in Reproductive Medicine Flashcards
What is “Assisted Reproductive Technology” defined as?
Any treatment involving in-vitro handling of human oocytes or sperm for achievement of pregnancy
What are two points which support the use of ART?
Procreative autonomy, where a couple should have the right to decide when or how to have children
Welfare interests, for example PGD for screening of conditions prior birth, or saviour siblings
State three ethical objections to IVF
- Involves the destruction of embryos
- Harmful to those trying to conceive
- Is “unnatural” however this definition is unclear
What is “The right to an open future”?
Problems should be solved to ensure children have a maximally open future, to enjoy the widest possible range of opportunity
State one law which takes into account the interests of a Future Unborn Child who has been conceived through ART
HFEA 1990
“A women won’t be provided with fertility treatment services unless the welfare of that born child has been taken into account (including need of a father)”
2008 Amendment -> same but “supportive parenting”
What are some criticisms of the HFEA 1990 Law which have a welfare criterion for a child conceived through ART?
- Fertile couples do not have to meet this criteria
2. Research suggests that a father is not always needed -> 2008 Amendment “supportive parenting”
Aside from the interests of parents and the future child’s, what other interests could be considered in ART? Why?
State - because ART is expensive and a child might be conceived that places high burdens on the state in terms of providing care
State one less controversial use of PGD
It helps avoid genetic diseases i.e. Cystic Fibrosis
State three controversial uses of PGD
- Selection of sex
- Selection for other “desirable characteristics”
- Saviour siblings
What is the principle of Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy?
MRT works by creating an IVF embryo that replaces the faulty mitochondria with healthy ones from a donor
What are two positives to support the use of MRT?
- Health benefits to future child
2. Benefits to parents
What are two concerns which argue against the use of MRT?
- Health risks to child i.e. residual mitochondria
2. Argument of whether MRT constitutes germ-line modification?
What is the cutoff for weeks of pregnancy that an Abortion can occur in England?
No greater than 24 weeks
Outline the Pro-life arguement against Abortion
- Abortion ends life of foetus
- Human foetus moral status = Person moral status
- Wrong to end life of foetus which has the same moral status as a person
Hence, abortion is morally wrong
Define “conscientious objection”
A doctor who has claimed the right to refuse to perform a service” on grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion
